Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

As fewer young people opt for careers in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM), the National Science Foundation has funded
EDC to develop a resource designed to engage young people in career
exploration and development.

A seventh grade student in a rural middle school is looking for ways to combine his love of art with his curiosity about computers. A young girl from East Texas searches for more information about the clothes that astronauts wear for an industrial design project. A boy in an urban neighborhood wants to follow up on a recent science lesson by learning more about amoebas.

High in the Peruvian Andes a grassroots movement supporting gender equity has taken hold. Led by a group of primary school students and their teachers, the community of Cerro de Pasco is taking a closer look at the implications of equal treatment and rights for men and women in the public and private spheres.

The needs of teachers and the technological sophistication of web developers are often at cross purposes on the Internet, leaving many educators frustrated in their hunt for online materials and Web developers vexed that few teachers use their sites.

Educators hoping to prepare young people for contemporary workplaces have always struggled with the challenge of a moving target. And the target is moving increasingly faster—thanks to the impact technology is having on nearly every career.

The GE Fund today released a new study that documents obstacles and solutions for improving minority and female student performance in pursuing careers in science, engineering, and technology (SET). Upping the Numbers, co-authored by EDC and Campbell-Kibler Associates, is one of the first studies to gather data on what really works to increase under-represented students’ interest and success in these fields.

digNubia introduces young people to archaeology through an exciting find: the remains of the ancient African civilization of Nubia that emerged over six thousand years ago in northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The project includes a documentary film, website, and traveling exhibit.

Bernie Zubrowski has spent much of his professional life devising ways to educate young people when they are out in the world, away from the classroom. In more than 23 years with Boston’s Children’s Museum and other museums in the U.S., Great Britain, India, Sweden and Bahrainand in several EDC projectsZubrowski’s quest has led him to design activities that illuminate scientific principles with very simple materials.

At the heart of Project ASSIST is the action reflection process, a carefully structured, time-limited discussion format that focuses on the work of three students chosen by their classroom teacher to represent the range of students in his or her class.